CENTRAL Devon MP Mel Stride went to a rally protesting against inheritance tax changes for farmers in Westminster on Monday, February 10.

From April 2026, people inheriting agricultural assets worth more than £1 million will have to pay a 20 per cent inheritance tax.

This is half the normal rate of 40 per cent and no tax will be payable on the first £325,000 above the limit.

There are also other exemptions, such as two people being able to pass on farmland worth up to £3 million tax-free.

It is estimated the tax could impact many family farms in Devon.

Organised by Save British Farming, the rally coincided with a parliamentary debate about the issue, which was scheduled after over 147,000 people signed an e-petition calling for the tax's repeal.

The Conservative Party also delivered a 215,000-signature petition to the government in December.

“Despite tens of thousands of farmers descending on Westminster and hundreds of thousands signing petitions against the Family Farm Tax, Labour are still intent on continuing this vindictive policy,” said MP Mel Stride, who is also Shadow Chancellor.

“On Monday, Labour MPs had yet another chance to speak out against Keir Starmer’s plans and help protect hundreds of thousands of farmers – they failed to do so and people across the country will not forgive them for this attack on the farming industry.

“Farming sits at the heart of my constituency and I will continue to do all I can to oppose this malicious tax on hardworking local farmers here in Central Devon and across the country.”

Mr Stride’s constituency covers Crediton, North Tawton, Okehampton, much of eastern Dartmoor and Ashburton.

He has been Shadow Chancellor in Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet since November.

He had sought to be the leader of the Conservative party but was eliminated from the contest in September.